Container and holder unit



Aug. 1, 1933'. w. JAY

CONTAINER AND HOLDER UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8, 1931 INVENTOR14 391717 clay BY QMQQAAAL" ATTORNEY Aug. 1, 1933. w. JAY 1,920,393

CONTAINER AND HOLDER UNIT Filed Sept. 8, 1931v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORWeb clay BY Q mm:

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ApplicationSeptember 8, 1931 Serial No. 561,630

4 Claims.

This invention relates to containersand the supporting means thereof andparticularly relates to a device of this character adapted to be mountedin connection with the dashboard of a motor vehicle, to hold cigarettepackages and other small articles which it may be necessary or desirableto keep in a handy position in the car. i

The principal object of my invention is to provide a container andsupporting structure particularly designed for the above use which isarranged to be mounted in connection with the dashboard in such a mannerthat both the support and container are practically concealed fromnormal view, and so that no drilling or marring of the dashboard orinterference with the various instruments thereon is had.

The container is adapted to be pulled out from its normally relativelyconcealed position when it is desired to use the same and another objectof my invention is to arrange the container and its support so that whenthe container is thus withdrawn its lid is automatically opened.

The same hand used to pull out the container may therefore be instantlyused to remove any desired article from the container; while at the sametime the contents of the container are normally covered and protectedfrom dirt and dust.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective outline of the drivers compartment of a motorvehicle showing my improved container in its advanced and open position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the container and its support detached.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the structure showing the containerretracted and closed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the structure with a modified mounting ofthe container lid.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, and particularly at present to Figs. 1 to 4, 1 denotes aC-clamp adapted to be attached to the forwardly projecting flange 2 nowcommonly provided along the lower edge of the instrument or dashboard 3of a motor vehicle. Projecting forwardly from the clamp and dashboard isa horizontal U- shaped rigid support comprising upper and lower bars 4and 5 connected together at their forward ends. At its rear end theupper bar is provided with an upstanding slotted flange 6 abuttingagainst the back of the clamp l and adjustably secured thereto by a bolt7. In this manner the support may be maintained in a desired horizontalposition even though the C-clamp is set on a transverse slope as mightbe necessitated by the contour of the flange 2.

- The container 8 is of rectangular form and removably fits in a holder8a of a similar form. The holder has a pair of channel shaped rails 9secured thereunder in facing relation to each 5 other and extendingahead of the holder some distance; these rails slidably engaging theedges of the lower bar 5. The container is provided with a lid 10 hingedalong its back edge (or its forward edge relative to the vehicle) andthe height of the container and lid together are such that they will fitclosely under the upper bar 4. The length of the container and holderfrom front to back is practically equal to the length of the upper bar4. A spring 11 is mounted on the holder to engage the lid and tends toopen the same, so that when the container is pulled out or clear of thesupport, the lid is then free to move to a vertical open position asshown in Fig. 1.

When the container is pushed back the engagement of the lid with theupper bar 4 causes the lid to be gradually closed. The length of therails beyond the container is such that the container may be pulled outa sufiicient distance clear of the support to allow the lid to clear theinstrument board as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

To limit the outward movement of the holder a plate 12 having alongitudinal slot 13 therein is fixed on and under the rails, a pin 14mounted in the bar 5 toward its rear end projecting through the slot. Afinger grip member 15 is fixed to and depends from the rear end of theplate 12 so as to provide for easy manipulation of the container.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the arrangement of the containersupporting structure is identical with that above described. The lid 10ais separate from the container or holder 8a however and is rigidlysecured on and under the upper supporting bar 4. When the holder ispushed in so that it is disposed between the supporting bars the lidwill cooperate with the holder to close the same. or the containertherein, but when the holder ispulled out so as to clear the support itis then entirely open.

In either case the withdrawal of a cigarette or other article from thecontainer is facilitated when the container is pulled out, while whenthe container is retracted it is automatically covered and its contentsfully protected.

The lid opening-spring beingmounted in connection with the holder ratherthan the container itself, the latter may be removed from the holder atany time without removing or disturbing any part of the same.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus. described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a container, a support comprising upper and lowerbars connected together at one end, means supporting the container fromthe lower bar for movement lengthwise thereof from a position over saidbar to one beyond the free end of the upper bar, a lid hinged on thecontainer along its edge nearest the connected ends of the bars, and aspring acting on the lid to raise the same; said container and lid whenin closed relationship together fitting between the bars.

2. In combination, a container, a support including a fixed bar, meanssupporting the container from the bar for movement lengthwise thereof, alid hinged on the container, means acting on the lid tending to open thesame, and means between the lid and support to cause the lid to be movedto a closed position when the container occupies a certain positionrelative to the bar, and to be free to be opened by said opening meanswhen the container occupies another position relative to the bar.

3. A container and supporting unit comprising a U shaped support havingvertically spaced legs, a container slidably supported on the lower legfor movement lengthwise thereof and disposed in a plane between thelegs, and a clamp for engagement with the instrument panel of a motorvehicle at its lower edge, mounted on the upper leg at its rear freeend.

4. A container and supporting unit comprising a U shaped support havingvertically spaced legs, a container slidably supported on the lower legfor movement lengthwise thereof and disposed in a plane between thelegs, a flange upstanding from the outer free end of the upper leg, anelement for clamping engagement with a fixed substantially horizontalsurface abutting against the outer face of the flange, and an adjustableclamping pivot between the element and flange.

i WEBB JAY.

